For the price of a latte, Monster Pinball brings loads of charm and character, jaw-dropping visuals and gameplay that hails fun factor over accurate retro remake of the real thing.

Trust me, you haven’t played pinball on your iPhone like this one. Labeled by the developer Matmi as a “totally original pinball extravaganza,” Monster Pinball is indeed a fresh take on the pinball genre that is becoming increasingly popular on the iPhone, with several quality pinball simulators now in the App Store and more in the works.

Unlike existing pinball games that are either retro remakes or accurate, but unforgiving simulators of the real thing, Monster Pinball introduces new elements that raise the fun value. First, instead of packing several boards separately, Monster Pinball comes with six boards stitched together. As a result, the ball can travel across tables in an instant.

Monster Pinball screenshotInterconnected boards are fun

It works pretty straightforward: Shoot the ball through special ramps, loops and holes or blast it with your flippers to the top of the board and the whole playfield scrolls to reveal a new board where you continue playing.

You always start on the aliens-themed board, with adjacent boards positioned on either side of the starting board. On top of each of these horizontally aligned boards is another board for a total of six interconnected boards. When you play on one of the upper boards and the ball escapes between your flippers, it falls down to the board bellow where you continue playing. Lose the ball while it’s on the three lower boards and you lose ‘life.’

Technically speaking, Monster Pinball is executed flawlessly. Each board features a unique take on crazy Monster Mafia characters. Boards are beautifully drawn in distinct graphical style that ranges from the starting aliens board to the theme park board with a funny toothless monster to the zero-gravity board with a powerful magnet in the center that affects ball trajectory.Flawless execution and eye-candy

The unique art style lends a lot to the overall fun factor which is further boosted by amusing animations, like when aliens are being subjected to electrical shocks.

As cool as it looks static, the whole thing blips to life when in motion, The ball, signs, lights, ramps and other markings and elements on the board are animated smoothly. You will especially appreciate thoughtfully designed touches like comic-like signs that pop up briefly when you finish a sequence, hold bonus etc.The ball pulses during Hotball, when all scores are doubled.

The ball pulses during Hotball period.

Hotball rules, too small a ballMy favorite has to be the Hotball feature. When you collect this power-up, the ball starts pulsing as if there is some kind of hot gelatin inside, enabling you to score double points when active.

Having said all of this, you’ll be amazed how gorgeous and smooth a pinball game on iPhone can be. The developers claim 60 frames per second and I have found this to be true. The physics leaves very little to be desired as the ball moves naturally and bumps realistically. My only concern is the ball is a tad too small and I sometimes struggle following it, especially when it moves really fast.

I’m hoping that developers address this issue in the next update, I suggest a distinct art style for the ball, something like the pulsating ball during the Hotball feature that really make it pop above colorful backgrounds.

Twisted flippers add varietyEach board offers two pairs of flippers: Large ones at table bottom and smaller flippers on each side at the upper half of the board, helping you hit tiny targets or steep ramps. In addition, each board twists flippers in certain way. While the starting board features the usual symmetrically aligned bottom flippers, other boards add a twist with asymmetrical flipper configuration. Some boards even pack flippers of different lengths.

Smaller, upper flippers are even more tweaked with reverted controls (left bottom flipper activates right upper flipper and vice versa ) and impossible angles. The game also has accelerometer-based tilt functionality that you can try using to change the ball’s path when you realize it’s heading between flippers.

However, despite the fact that you can tilt five times, I have found tilt pretty useless due to the dynamics of the game that leaves little time for tilting. Besides, you will lose track of the ball when you tilt your device.

With all these twists, dangers and surprises waiting to happen, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the game is too hard and unforgiving. On the contrary, there are various ball saving mechanisms, stallballs, a freeball period that lasts a couple of seconds when you launch the ball, side lanes that divert the ball, and other life-saving tweaks.

Last, but not the least, local and online scoreboards round out this exquisitely packed game nicely.